Tag Archives: DN5

Pole Sitter & Sister – Shadow Cosworth DN5 #DN5/1A #DN5/2A

Things were looking up for reigning Can Am Champions Don Nichols Shadow team in 1975, the Can Am series folded, but the team kept a strong US presence with a Dodge powered DN6 Formula 5000 team which used a similar Tony Southgate designed chassis to today’s featured DN5 design.

Following the dominant trend in F1 design the DN5 was built around a slimmer lower monocoque, than the previous years DN3, but with a longer and wider wheel base and track than many.

Shadow DN5, Silverstone Classic,

Jean Pierre Jarier put the DN5 #DN5/1A, seen here in the first third and sixth photographs at Silverstone Classic 2013, on pole on the cars debut in Argentina, but the car never started having stripped the crown wheel and pinion in the gearbox on the warm up lap.

Jumper was on pole again at the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix, but retired seven laps short of the finish after the fuel metering unit failed.

Shadow DN5, Donington Park Museum,

The non championship Race of Champions at Brands Hatch saw the DN5’s run with a new TV test card like colour scheme and Tom qualified the sister #DN5/2A, seen in the close ups at Donington Park Museum, on pole and then ran away with the race while Jean Pierre finished 4 laps down from 3rd on the grid classified 8th with a fuel pump issue.

Further highlights of the season came in Spain where JPJ finished a season high 4th from 10th on the grid and at Monaco where still driving the two original chassis Tom and JPJ qualified 2nd and 3rd respectively, but both retired with accident damage which would be the final appearance of JPJ’s #DN5 1A.

At the British Grand Prix run at Silverstone Tom won his only career championship pole but retired after an opening lap accident, by now having scored two 6th place finishes in Belgium and Holland.

Shadow DN5, Silverstone Classic,

In Germany Tom still driving #DN5/2A converted 16th on the grid to a fourth place finish.

Meanwhile keen to find another engine supplier the similar Shadow DN7 with a V12 Matra engine, which I looked at a couple of weeks ago, had been built up for JPJ to drive in Austria and Italy.

Shadow DN5, Donington Park Museum,

While the Matra proved not to be quite the fillip to the team’s fortunes that were anticipated Tom drove #DN5/2A to the teams season high 3rd place finish in Austria from 15th on the grid.

At the non championship Swiss Grand Prix run at Dijon in France JPJ was once again on pole with the Cosworth powered #DN5/4A, Jumper looked like he was going to break his F1 duck, until the 34th lap from 60 when the transmission broke and he retired from the lead.

Shadow DN5, Donington Park Museum,

At the Italian Grand Prix Tom once again drove through the field coming home 6th from 14th on the grid.

#DN5/2A’s final appearance came at the 1975 US Grand Prix where Tom qualified 7th but finished unclassified 7 laps down.

Shadow DN5, Silverstone Classic,

Having failed to convince Matra of their suitability as a partner for the 1976 season Shadow also lost their sponsor UOP meaning Tony Southgates new Shadow DN8 was put on hold while the team continued running the DN5’s in B spec, which I shall look at next year, that was introduced to meet new regulations from the Spanish Grand Prix.

Thanks for joining me on this “Pole Sitter & Sister” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Maserati Monday. Don’t forget to come back now !

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À Vendre – Shadow Matra DN7 #DN7/1A

Like the story À Vendre by French author Guy de Maupassant, published in 1885 the story of the Shadow DN7 is short.

Shadow DN7, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

While looking for an advantage over his fellow Cosworth DFV powered Formula One powered competitors Shadow owner Don Nichols came to an agreement with Matra to run a new 500hp development of their V12 which had won Le Mans three years running from 1972 – ’74.

Shadow DN7, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Matra had unsuccessfully run variants of the same V12 in 1968 and from 1970 to ’71 scoring a best 2nd place finish in the 1968 Dutch Grand Prix when Jean Pierre Beltoise finished second behind the Ford DFV powered Matra chassis driven by Jackie Stewart.

Shadow DN7, Grant Beath, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The Shadow DN7 is similar to the 1975 Cosworth DFV powered Shadow DN5 designed by Tony Southgate, but has a larger fuel capacity and a different arrangement for the larger side mounted radiators.

Shadow DN7, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

The Shadow DN7 was entered for former Matra sports car driver Jean Pierre Jarier alongside the regular marginally less powerful but lighter DFV powered Shadow DN5 driven by Tom Pryce in the 1975 Austrian and Italian Grand Prix, both circuits for which put a premium on out right power over handling.

Shadow DN7, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

On both occasions “Jumper” Jarier out qualified Tom, but on both occasions he also retired with fuel system issues, while Tom went on to finish a team season high third in Austria and 6th in Italy.

Shadow DN7, Grant Beath, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Having proved the potential of the V12, but also failing to really impress, the DN7 was never to race again, Matra deciding to supply the fledgling Ligier team with it’s V12 for the 1976 season.

Don was sent one of the three Matra MS 73 engines built for the 1975 season so that he could display the car as complete, but it had a whole in it so that it could not run.

Current owner Grant Beath bought the DN7 from Don at the beginning of the decade and after failing to find one of the two complete MS 73 motors had his damaged one returned to running order in France.

Like the house that is the subject of the short story by Guy de Maupassant it turns out that the subject of this story is for sale, if you are in the market for a one off formula one car that makes the sweetest of V12 sounds then you can leave a message below or you can get in touch with Bill Harding or Rick Hall at Hall & Hall whose contact details can be found on this link.

Usual disclaimers apply.

Thanks for joining me on this “À Vendre” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a 2+2 Marcos. Don’t forget to come back now !

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